Olympic 800m champion “absolutely gutted” to make past due withdrawal from international indoor listing strive in Birmingham
A tearful Keely Hodgkinson has been compelled to drag out of the Keely Klassic (February 15) because of a hamstring harm.
All through her ultimate coaching consultation ahead of the development that bears her identify, the Olympic 800m champion skilled some soreness in her hamstring. A scan later printed a subject matter that implies she won’t be able to race this weekend.
The setback manner Hodgkinson is now a doubt for the Eu Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn (March 6-9), even if she nonetheless hasn’t given up on her ambition of competing on the International Indoor Championships in Nanjing (March 21-23).
Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)
“However this tournament used to be by no means as regards to me – it used to be at all times about showcasing British ability, developing one thing new for the game and bringing extra power and leisure to athletics. That’s one thing I’m dedicated to for the long run.
“I’ll be in Birmingham on Saturday doing everything I can to make sure it’s an amazing night for the athletes and the fans. I want to help create a real festival atmosphere, engage with as many young people as possible, and hopefully inspire the next generation to fall in love with track and field.”
Hodgkinson have been aiming to damage the sector indoor 800m listing on Saturday in what would were her first race since securing Olympic gold in Paris.
The 22-year-old’s goal used to be Jolanda Čeplak’s 1:55.82, which used to be set via the Slovenian athlete on March 3, 2002 – the similar day Hodgkinson used to be born.
Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)
The British 800m record-holder each indoors (1:57.18) and outside (1:54.61), had dearly sought after to create some other piece of historical past via including that international indoor mark to her CV.
“It’s a record that I’ve been after for a couple of years now,” Hodgkinson solely instructed AW in our February mag. “I’ve been within the form to do it ahead of nevertheless it simply hasn’t slightly pop out, and that’s simply the truth of the game.
“I do feel like it’s mine for the taking, because it was set on the exact date that I was born. I’d just love to be able to give it a good go in front of a home crowd.”
Again in December, Hodgkinson used to be topped BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr, the primary individual from athletics to reach the feat since Mo Farah in 2017. Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, who teach Hodgkinson at M11 Monitor Membership, had been additionally named as BBC Sports activities Persona Coaches of the Yr.
Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows (Tim Adams)
Be expecting quite a few British listing makes an attempt on the Keely Klassic
Even supposing Hodgkinson’s withdrawal is a blow, quite a few British athletes will nonetheless be aiming to damage nationwide indoor information in Birmingham.
Georgia Bell, who secured the Olympic 1500m bronze medal in Paris, desires to damage Laura Muir’s nationwide indoor mark of three:59.58.
Closing summer season, Bell recorded a time of three:52.61 on her strategy to the rostrum on the Stade de France, making improvements to Muir’s outside listing of three:53.79 from the Paris Diamond League.
After that unbelievable 12 months the 31-year-old, who prior to now balanced her coaching with a full-time task in cybersecurity, has now close down the computer and grew to become to athletics on a full-time foundation.
Georgia Bell (Getty)
Additionally coached via Painter and Meadows, Bell lately returned from a coaching camp in South Africa and is now into the entire swing of the indoor season.
After impressing over 3000m on the New Stability Indoor Grand Prix in Boston, she adopted it up with victory within the Wanamaker Mile on the Millrose Video games, changing into simply the fourth British feminine athlete in historical past to win the distinguished trophy.
In the meantime, within the girls’s 300m on the Keely Klassic, Lina Nielsen will glance to raised Dina Asher-Smith’s British indoor mark of 36.77.
Asher-Smith recorded that point at altitude in Albuquerque ultimate February, with Nielsen’s non-public absolute best over the space indoors being the 37.35 she ran in 2022.
That mark used to be the nationwide indoor listing on the time, ahead of Jodie Williams clocked 37.24 in Iowa a 12 months later.
Lina Nielsen (Getty)
Callum Dodds, who recorded an outright 800m non-public absolute best of one:47.79 in Spain ultimate weekend, is focused on the British indoor 600m listing on Saturday.
The present mark is held via Tom Staines, who ran 1:15.31 in Albuquerque six years in the past.
Dodds boasts a absolute best of one:16.46 over the space and is these days ranked 6th on the United Kingdom indoor all-time record.
Neil Gourley (Getty)
The lads’s 1000m used to be billed to be a British indoor listing strive from Jake Wightman however the 2022 international 1500m champion pulled out of the development with a knee harm. On the other hand, Neil Gourley – the 2023 Eu indoor 1500m silver medallist – is within the line-up and may just probably threaten Charlie Grice’s 2:17.20 from New York in 2020.
Gourley, who has an indoor 1000m non-public absolute best of two:18.68, additionally ran his fastest ever indoor mile finally week’s Millrose Video games, clocking 3:49.22 in New York.
Jacob Fincham-Dukes, off the again of his 8.18m jump in Albuquerque, is the headline identify within the males’s lengthy leap on the Keely Klassic.
Having positioned 5th on the Olympics, he’s now 2nd in the back of Greg Rutherford’s 8.26m at the British indoor lengthy leap all-time record.
Molly Caudery (Getty)
British pole vault record-holder and international indoor champion Molly Caudery can even hope to provoke on the Utilita Enviornment.
With the heartbreak of lacking out at the Olympic pole vault ultimate now smartly in the back of her, she unfolded her 2025 season with a 4.75m clearance in Karlsruhe ultimate week. Caudery’s British listing is 4.92m.
There may also be a variety of different occasions on display, together with the flat sprints and dash hurdles, para occasions and faculty relays.
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